Aito's POV:

"Why couldn't Takura come home then, if you loved him so much?"

...

The kid just stared at me with a shocked expression, before I saw his misty eyes...shit. I pushed through my regret and left the cafe as fast as I could. Well...maybe I don't regret it. I meant those words.

I've wanted to say them for years, ever since my brother left the house only to come home in an urn...but I said them to the wrong people....what is wrong with me?-No it isn't my fault. It's not my fault, how could I have helped him? I was too young, he didn't tell me anything, I couldn't do anything. It's not my fault...

It was never...

...

If you were such close friends...if you truly cared about him, if you really looked after him...your friends promised me you would...why....?

I clenched my fist and hurried home, bracing myself for her wrath.

Why is he dead?

~-~-Five Years Ago-~-~

"TAKI!" I screamed running down the halls, "YOU PWOMISED TO GET ME CANDY!" I begged while searching around the house till I heard some groaning from behind the door, "ugh...I'm coming ok...?" he called...why does he sound hurt...?

Taki came out hugging his stomach a little but blasting on a giant smile, "who wants candy?" He teased.

"I do! I do!" I screamed, "what? I can't hear anyone, guess I get to eat it all for myself, oh the horror!" He laughed.

"Nooo! I screamed in protest chasing after him as he walked further away down the hall to his room, flaunting his height by jumping to reach the small bag of candy on his shelf.

"Welp time to eat it, wow look it's chocolate pocky I'm sure this is someone's favorite, but I forgot who's" he emphasized.

That's it! I quickly grabbed the pocky box from his hands, "woah! How did I lose to a little kid?" He mumbled to himself.

"TAKURA" A loud voice echoed through the walls as he flinched, quietly he got up and headed towards the door, brushing himself off and standing as tall as possible.

"Stay in here...alright?" He asked with a small smile.

"Ok!" I agreed quickly wondering how many books I would need to stack in order to reach the rest of the hidden snacks and candy.

"Look at this! Look at you! You're getting fat, I thought you loved me, don't you trust your mother to know what is best for you?" She shouted.

Just one more.

"I'm sorry...I'll do better" Takura apologized, "yes like you've always done better. I've heard that excuse from you before, 'I'm sorry ma'am, I'll do better" she mocked.

...more candy.

"Do you honestly think I will keep believing that? DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID?!"

*CRASH*

...

I sat down against the bed and closed my eyes as I tried to ignore what happened beyond the door.

~-~-~

"I really don't know about this one Takura, I mean we've had times where we broken into places but-" Taki brushed the weird guy off, "I trust Kokichi alright? Besides, it isn't as if we are doing this for fun or to be teen social justice warriors, it's for Riko...so...we'll be fine. Kokichi's plans always work out ok?" a stranger told Takura I peeked from behind the corner.

"I don't know...I just have this feeling alright? This feeling that something is going to go wrong, and I don't want that alright? Please just trust me on this Takura, that sub gives me the willies I don't trust him, I know everyone else is like 'bitch please this man looks like a clown college drop out' but to me, he looks...look I just get a bad feeling from him, so can we please just convince Kokichi to cancel the plan?" I asked.

"Nao...Nao no I'm not, if that's why you came over I'm sorry but I'm going to do that, please don't get mad at me..." he begged. The teen Nao sighed as he leaned back on the couch, "maybe...maybe I'm just overreacting...hey Takura do you got any candy?" Nao asked, "I'm a stressed man, stressed help" he begged jokingly.

"I...I don't, heh, I gave it to Aito actually...I don't really like it anymore" Takura said nervously. I got up from behind the corner and headed to my room to grab some of the candy, trails of their conversation made its way in the empty house.

"What do you mean you're on a diet again?" Nao asked annoyed, "I have to...I gained too much, it's fine don't worry about it. See? Look perfectly healthy" Takura emphasized as he grabbed his stomach for some reason.

"I'm just being a bit healthy...that's all" he insisted, the Nao guy looked annoyed at that though, "healthy? Healthy?" He repeated over and over again, as I stood behind them uncomfortable.

"Bruh! No wonder Genkei gets worried sick over you! Seriously I'll take us out to the burger place this weekend, my treat, screw diets, and beauty standards they clearly can't see how beautiful I am" Nao boasted.

"Ugh, just-AITO!" Takura called realizing I was there, "shit, I mean shoot, uh hey buddy, uh how long have you been there?" he asked. I held up the snickers bar, "you wanted candy right?" I asked.

"This is my new favorite kid, he is the best and innocent precious boy who we must protect-" Nao gushed

"Just go, ok?" Takura groaned as I pouted walking away.

~-~-~-~

"RUN AWAY THEN YOU FUCKING PORK BUN! RUNAWAY AND SEE IF I CARE!" she screeched as I heard the door open and the door slam, Takura pushing the desk in front of the door, he was panting hard, clenching his teeth tightly as I pushed myself further into the corner as he just screamed to himself tossing the books wherever he could, flinging whatever he could get his hands onto, tears flooding from his face and he just screamed incoherently. 

Finally, he picked up a vase holding a flower when he glanced back at me, I couldn't stop myself from squeaking and trying to get away from him "I...I...it's...it's okay Aito...it's just me...it's just...me..." Takura mumbled, as he finally sat against his bed and cradling his own body as snotty sobs escaped.

"It's fine...it's ok...take a deep...breath...I...I got this...I got this...it's going to be fine..." he choked, his eyes were red as he finally squashed a pillow against his face hugging it as hard as he could. I paused for a second before scooting closer as I just heard soft sobbing.

"One day...one day DICE and I are going to run away...and well go so far away...that none of us will ever be scared...and it's going to be so much fun..." he laughed softly, "please...please come sooner...please..." he whispered.

"I don't..." he mumbled before stopping, his breath becoming calmer after what might have been hours passed as I leaned against his shoulder.

Friends...best friends...

I looked up at the ceiling. 

I want that someday.

~-~-~-~

I sat outside the bathroom again, Takura was taking forever again and it was really really bad I really had to go.

"Taki! Huwwy up!" I screamed through the door, I heard another monster sound as the toilet flushed and the sink tirning on.

"Taki? Are you dead?" I asked knocking, "one...second..." a groan escaped as Takura left the bathroom, it smelled bad.

"Eeew! It smells like cooties!" I complained, Takura snorted, "sorry..." he apologized as he wiped at his eyes.

*DING DONG*

Takura's eyes lit up as he hurried over to the door, and opened it to let a blonde kid inside, the blonde kid had jewlery and I couldn't even tell if they were a girl or boy.

"Hey Tak I decided to finally kidnap you" the kid greeted, "oh sure let me get my things" Takura snorted as he let him in.

Stare....

"Takura why do I feel like a six year old is judging me?" A weird blonde kid asked, "he does that a lot, I knew it might've been a mistake showing him Cased Closed" Taki joked.

Stare....

"So...why did you really come Genkei?" Takura asked nervously, "I mean I needed to test out my pick up lines and you're the least likely to tell anyone, also...seriously what's going on you've been acting weird since the...well since I got my tragic super villian backstory" the guy joked pointing at his eye scar.

"It's...it's nothing. I'm fine" Takura insisted, he always said that line like it was a cool catchphrase.

"Yeah and pigs fly, what's really going on?" Genkei asked turning serious. Takuras eyes then got misty as the guy, Genkei, sighed.

"Wanna talk about it in another room?" He asked eyeing me. Takura nodded, the guy grabbed his hand and led him away.

Stop making him cry...

~-~-~

I don't know how long they were talking. I must've watched a million pokemon episodes by the time the door opened. Takura was wiping his eyes as the meanie pants headed towards the door.

"HEY!" I called staring him up in the face angrily, "you guys stop being mean to Taki! You people always make him cwy!" I told him.

"A-Aito!" Takura scolded looking embarrased, the guy laughed, "sorry about that then...tell you what, I promise I'll protect your big bro at school alright? In return you gotta be a cool little man and watch out for him here alright?" He asked handing out a pinkie.

"We got ourselves a deal?" He asked, reluctantly I did and he pinkie promised.

"Ok now get out you jerk" Takura joked, "wait but you still haven't said yes to date night" Genkei protested.

"GO!" Takura cried out blushing.

"YOU DIDN'T SAY NO WOO!" Genkei cheered as he left. Takura looked like a tomato.

~-~-~-~

When my brother was alive, I remember there being two sides to him. One was always scared and crying, one who always was screaming as well and throwing stuff when he got annoyed at something...and one...one who was kind and took me out to get ice cream...the one who introduced me to shows he liked...

The one that man once promised to protect, now that I'm older I understand what those long bathroom trips and what those insults actually meant....and I wonder...I wonder if I could have helped him...

I was to young.

But they lied to me, because they said they would protect him...but my brother...my brother flung himself into the sea.

And they jumped in with him, not after him.